LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Butchertown shop has been turning out sweet treats and lines out the door for nearly two years.
Big Nita’s Cheesecakes started baking three years ago and in January of 2023 they opened their physical location on East Main Street. That day there was a line out the door and down the sidewalk, and according to the store’s co-owner Nicole Burks, that’s been a regular site since then.
“It’s super gratifying and it’s super humbling, but at the same time I try to never expect it and to use it as a way to motivate me to try to sell out again next weekend. Kind of to work harder for it,” said Burks.
For Burks, cheesecake came as a way to keep her busy. She said that she had just gotten sober and was looking for a way to occupy her time when a banana pudding cheesecake video kept popping up onto her Facebook feed.
“I saw it every day for about a week, and I was like maybe I should try to make that,” said Burks.
“I made it, I gave it out to a bunch of friends, they loved it…and then we just kind of started from there,” she continued.
The shop is open Friday through Monday with a limited amount of cheesecake they can sell. Burks says the typically post their rotating menu on their social media pages, and then field calls for orders.
When it comes to big time holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, those orders are typically filled in a matter of days if not hours. She expects the same for this year.
“People can expect the fan favorites like banana pudding and Oreo, but also some good holiday flavors like caramel pumpkin and pumpkin pie stuff,” said Burks.
Burks says this experience of owning Big Nita’s has been a journey, difficult but rewarding as she put it. She says her success comes down to support and it’s support that comes from all over.
Her fiancé’s support who co-owns the shop with her, the support from her friends who encouraged her to keep making her delicious deserts, and the support of her customers who line up and buy out her treats. All of that is her recipe for success.